Category: News
Which?-led consortium urges government to make fraud priority by removing barriers to data sharing
A Which?-led coalition representing some of the UK’s biggest banks and telecoms providers has made a landmark commitment to sharing data, as it urges the new government to make tackling fraud a national priority. The group, which includes Which?, Barclays, BT, Mobile UK, Nationwide, NatWest, Starling, Three UK, UK Finance, Virgin Media O2 and Vodafone,…
Ford’s hands-free driving tech BlueCruise gets EU approval
Ford BlueCruise approved by the European Commission for use in 15 European countries BlueCruise now available to customers of new Mustang Mach-E vehicles purchased in countries with Blue Zones and three additional European countries This expansion follows earlier introductions of BlueCruise in Germany, Great Britain and Spain There are more than 420,000 BlueCruise-equipped Ford…
ICO reprimands Electoral Commission for data breach. Is shine coming off AI boom?
Personal details of millions of UK voters were left "vulnerable to hackers" because passwords were not changed and software not updated, the UK's data privacy watchdog has found. The Electoral Commission, which oversees UK elections, has been formally reprimanded, the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) over the security lapse. Beginning in August 2021 cyber-attackers were able to access…
Ofcom to clamp down on scam calls from abroad
Phone companies to block more calls from abroad that imitate UK landline numbers under strengthened Ofcom guidance Many people still receive suspicious calls and texts, despite a recent decline Regulator calls for evidence on innovative solutions to disrupt UK mobile number spoofing People will be better protected against scammers who call from abroad and imitate…
ChatGPT trials search feature, Apple to launch folding phone in 2026
OpenAI is working on adding new powers to its artificial intelligence (AI) bot, as it seeks to edge out Google as the go-to search engine. The company said, it was trialling a search feature that incorporates real-time information into its ChatGPT product, allowing the bot to respond to user questions with up-to-date information and links. The…
Apple Maps now available on the the web, 3D-printed blood vessels help with heart disease
Apple Maps is finally available on the web. Through a beta that launched on Wednesday afternoon, you can now get driving and walking directions as well as view ratings and reviews from the web version of Apple Maps in a desktop or mobile browser. Apple Maps is available through the beta.maps.apple.com site. You can do…
Car production falls 7.6% in first half of 2024 as firms invest in electric future
UK car production dips -7.6% in first half of 2024 as manufacturers continue switch to EVs Electrified vehicle production YTD also down -7.6% to 157,224 units Latest independent production outlook anticipates UK producing some 910,000 cars and light vans this year, down -9.3%, as factories repurpose. Sector looks forward to working with new government on…
Honda e:NY1 is most in-demand EV, says Auto Trader
According to the latest data from Auto Trader, the Honda e:NY1 is this July’s most in-demand brand-new electric vehicle (EV), and the 7th most in-demand new car among all fuel-types, rising from the UK’s 254th in June. It means the battery-powered SUV is this month’s fastest-growing new car model overall, and for pure electric cars,…
Ofcom fines TikTok £1.875m for providing inaccurate data about parental controls
TikTok failed to provide Ofcom with accurate information about its parental controls Delays in reporting the issue disrupted publication of Ofcom’s child safety transparency report Ofcom has today fined TikTok £1.875 million for failing to accurately respond to a formal request for information about its parental controls safety feature. Firms are required, by law, to respond to…
HMD to create ‘dumbphones’ for children, Spotify confirms ‘hi-fi audio’ – again
As part of The Better Phone project, phone manufacturer HMD is creating a 'dumbphone' as a low-tech alternative to a smartphone to give parents control over their child’s screen time and social media use. The aim is to preserve the mental health of the next generation with a phone parents have co-created to protect their…